


By Your Side

by nitohkousuke



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cousin Incest, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 12:38:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17080481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nitohkousuke/pseuds/nitohkousuke
Summary: Part of The ShiIta Secret SantaFor @glassalchemist on TumblrI used the prompts: Prom and Shisui Living with Itachi's familyAU Where they're both in HighSchool





	By Your Side

Shisui wasn't sure about a lot of things, but he was fairly certain he was an absolute human disaster. He'd always been a living disaster. Sitting on the stone fence around the garden where he’d always met Itachi for lunch, he couldn't help but lean back and stare up at the sky, trying to find something, anything to calm his nerves. Maybe, Shisui wasn't always this kind of human disaster. In some ways, he was sure people saw him as the furthest thing from it. He was almost top of the class. He was sure of himself in almost every way people saw him: school, sports, and most social conventions.

 

However, had any of these people tried to be functioning humans around Itachi? Because that was something else entirely. Without even meaning to, the boy managed to untangle everything he was ever sure about, and yet he spread a sure, safe warmth afire in him. Itachi's words were always sure, strong as if he picked his words carefully, perfectly. Yet, sometimes, they weren't. Shisui was the only person who saw those moments.

 

Shisui was the only person Itachi had let see that. That sort of trust....it was more than whatever assumption they'd grown close over.

 

It wasn't always like this. It wasn't. They were friends. Just friends. Distant cousins? They both had the last name Uchiha, but trying to track down branches on that family was a disaster. Too many times, documents had been burned. They were just friends whose parents were close enough to know each other but not close enough to invite for personal affairs. The Uchiha really were just like that. Passionate about protecting the family, but terrible at actually expressing intimate feelings and creating situations where they would be expressed.

 

He'd never forget Fugaku trying to express his condolences for the death of his parents. His parents who had sacrificed themselves to save Fugaku's and the rest of their team's lives from a car bomb. He could tell the man had cared deeply about them. There was an extra wrinkle in his frown, a shakiness in his voice, sorrow in his eyes, and hesitation in his body language. To know Uchiha, you had to learn how to read them.

 

That funeral was actually the very first time Shisui had ever met Itachi.

 

“ _Shouldn't you be inside?” A boy a few years younger than him spoke, startling him._

 

“ _...I just wanted some fresh air.” Shisui had said quickly, wiping his tears from his eyes. Typical Uchiha way of handling things._

 

“ _...It's okay to cry.” The boy, who looked like he would be equally guilty for hiding his tears, sat down next to him. “Your parents were good people. That's what my father said...but it's okay to hurt because they're gone. You're allowed to have feelings”_

 

“ _I don't really know what to do now.” Shisui mumbled, leaning back watching the clouds cover the sun._

 

“ _You can join the force with me.” The boy paused. “Help protect our family. Help protect our town. I want to stop all the fighting. Create peace.”_

 

“ _I don't really think cops can do that.”_

 

“ _Probably not. The whole system is bad, but we have to start somewhere.”_

 

“ _You're really wise, you know kid?” Shisui shoved him lightly._

 

“ _Itachi. My name is Itachi. You should help me save the world, Shisui-san” Itachi had said like there was nothing in the world that could even remotely stop him._

 

Itachi had always been like that. He continued to be like that. Desperate to help out wherever he could. Joined every club and volunteer organization he could remotely fit into his schedule. He helped out at the precinct whenever he could, even if he butted heads with his father on countless matters. Itachi buried himself in work, and Shisui only ever saw him when he could manage to do like half of what Itachi did.

 

Which was all their classes because of course Itachi was in the same grade. And the few clubs Shisui could manage when he didn't feel like he was drowning in responsibilities. And the visits to the library. And the few times they had lunch. But Itachi was always doing something. Always busy. Always absorbed in something.

 

Shisui was amazed by him. Because as emotionless as people thought the guy was, Itachi was the furthest thing from that. There was a fire in his eyes. Firmness in his voice. Kindness in his actions. Itachi was one of the most passionate people Shisui had ever known. He was on a level Shisui couldn't remotely hope to achieve. He had no idea how the guy managed to accomplish what he did.

 

Of course, the answer was that Itachi was a ticking time bomb.

 

“ _What do you mean he's not at the precinct? No one in any of my classes has seen him all day. I thought he was just working with you?” Shisui's hands shook. Oh god. Oh god. Dread settled in his stomach. Where. Where._

 

_He grabbed his things and ran faster that he had in his entire life, while shooting an email to his teachers asking them to forgive his absence from class today. Hopefully, he wouldn't get in too much trouble for just leaving school without a parent to check him out._

 

_He slammed Itachi's bedroom door just in time to see Itachi take a shaky step from the bathroom, wiping the blood from his mouth._

 

“ _Oh, God. Itachi.” He should have known. He should have seen this coming. Itachi always looked tired, but it had been worse lately. The lines under his eyes were the worst they'd ever been. The way he'd nearly cried over getting a less than perfect grade last week. The way he'd been having trouble eating lunch._

 

“ _...I can't do this.” Itachi had said slowly, all the light just gone from his eyes._

 

“ _I'm so sorry. I should have seen sooner.” Shisui took a step closer, placing a hand gently on Itachi's shoulder._

 

_Itachi leaned forward, burying his face in him. He cried silently, but Shisui could feel the wetness. He could feel Itachi's body shake._

 

“ _You're allowed to cry, you know. You're allowed to have feelings.” Shisui began rubbing circles in his back. “You're allowed to need breaks. You're allowed to have days off. You're allowed to need down time. You can't do everything, even if I know you want to. You're hurting yourself.”_

 

_Itachi wrapped his arms tight around him, nodding gently._

 

“ _....You should talk to the counselor about this, Itachi” Shisui frowned. “I....don't want to lose you.” Couldn't lose him. Shisui couldn't. Maybe that spoke bad of him too. Maybe he needed to see the counselor too. Maybe he should have a while ago._

 

_Because this had stopped being about just protecting his distant baby cousin. This was protecting his most precious person._

 

“ _Come on.” Shisui led him gently to his bed, flopping them down, and grabbing Itachi's laptop. “Let's watch those dumb detective movies you like to do your classwork to sometimes.”_

 

“ _But I need to get to-”_

 

“ _Nope. Emailed the teachers. It's your day off. You need to rest. You need to eat something you won't just throw up, don't think I didn't notice that. You and me are gonna eat your mom's leftovers and watch your favorite detective movie. Maybe I'll even let you explain why it's so good.”_

 

_Itachi snuggled close, and Shisui could feel his heart in his ears._

 

_Ah this was what love felt like._

 

From that point on, Shisui knew he was fucked. Because he did everything in his power to make sure Itachi never hit that point again. They hung out more. Shisui made Itachi laugh. Nearly fought Fugaku the one time that Itachi was looking for praise and he didn't receive it. Nearly fought him a second time with Itachi when little Sasuke experienced the same thing.

 

….Cuddled watching movies together. Gentle face caresses. They held hands once when no one was around. There was a warmth in Itachi's gaze that couldn't have been his imagination.

 

There was more than just friendship, right?

 

Shisui wasn't out of his mind for sitting here with a pack of Itachi's hard to get favorite dango. Wasn't out of his mind for what he was about to do. He'd thought about this conversation at least a hundred times, but really, he was suddenly unsure of how exactly he was going to ask this. Because this was Itachi. He couldn’t just go in without a plan. He couldn’t mess this up. He couldn’t just-

 

“....Shisui, are you okay?” Itachi’s concerned filled voice permeated the air and Shisui felt like a fool. A fool because he had been panicking too long that the so called strategical genius he was...had let Itachi approach him before he could come up with a plan.

 

He tried to start up his brain and do something before he looked like a fool, but all he managed to do was shove the very special dango into Itachi’s hands. He couldn’t even mumble out more than a “for you,” to which Itachi blinked in confusion and mumbled a “Thank you,” back.

 

“I...wanted to uh well, talk to you!” Oh smooth Shisui. Smooth. That didn’t sound ominous. “It’s good! It’s good. I mean I hope it’s good. Maybe it’s bad. Maybe...uh no wait.” Great. Fantastic. Maybe he should drop out of school and find a job that required never talking again because obviously Shisui’s mouth was as functional as his grades in school had suggested.

 

All he got from Itachi was an Uchiha patented questioning grunt. Ah, their family and their way with words. Was that why they saw him as so special? Was it because like his Cousin Obito he had more words than the rest of the family seemed to have? What good was that doing now anyway? Shisui was going to die. This is how he would die. Embarrassment. Destroying the most important relationship he’d ever known.

 

“Are you going to Prom?” Somehow the words came out of his mouth. It surprised him. The tone wasn’t even panicked. It was almost normal.

 

“I have never gone to a single dance in this school, and honestly, I had not planned on it....” Itachi mumbled. Shisui could read his confusion. “...They are more fitting for someone as social as you, Shisui.” Shisui could read between the lines on that one. He could read the self-deprecating, “no one wants a nerd like me.” He frowned deeply at it too and gave him the look he always gave him when he caught that.

 

“It’s your last dance. You should at least pop in.” Shisui mumbled. “We have friends who you could hang out with. Kakashi and Obito and Anko and Genma. Even Iruka is going and he’s more of a nerd than you are.”

 

“....Why does it matter?” Itachi’s gaze was back on him and Shisui couldn’t breathe again.

 

“...I. Uh. Well. You know. I wanted to go and......” Well, his mouth stopped working again. Fantastic. He was the biggest, smoothest, most successful flirt this school knew, and he couldn’t ask someone to prom. Really? If Anko saw him now, he’d never live this down.

 

“....And? Did you not find a date? I would find that hard to believe, but perhaps you have finally dated all the girls who remotely had any interest in you.” There was something in his voice that Shisui couldn’t read. It made his heart hurt, but at the same time, his pride had been wounded.

 

“Hey! I got asked out by like 6 different people. Not all of them are girls. And I don’t...date” Shisui looked to the side. “Kiss. Make out with. Mess around. But not...date. I’m not interested in any of those people like that.”

 

There was a silence, and Shisui could feel Itachi’s stare. He could practically see his thought process. See him try to figure out exactly where Shisui was going with this. Shisui could feel himself break out practically into a cold sweat.

 

“.....I don’t understand.” Itachi admitted after some time. If this were a completely different situation, Shisui would have a tape recorder out. Itachi had never said that. Never admitted. Not even at his lowest point. But this situation is....Shisui felt something settle in the pit of his stomach, clawing at him from the inside out. He felt sick.

 

“...I want to go with you.” Shisui refused to look at him when he said it. It was too late. He’d said it. There was no going back.

 

“....Ah?” Itachi’s voice was filled with surprise, and Shisui couldn’t read whether it was good or bad. Itachi had always been like that.

 

“Because. I know were both...you know? But I. Listen. I like you a lot.” Shisui balled his hands into fists taking a shaky breath. “You’re passionate. Good natured. Kind. You try way too hard. God you try harder than anyone deserve you to.” Shisui bit his lip before continuing. He could feel tears prick at his eyes. “And I know. I know I’m some dumb selfish jerk. I’m smart but not smart enough for the Uchiha name. I’m not loyal enough to whatever bullshit our family is even if I want to desperately protect you and Sasuke and Obito and everyone. And you probably don’t have any interest in me because god you’re the head of this crazy family and you’re gonna find some smart perfect wife wh-”

 

And then Itachi covered his mouth with his own, harder than Shisui could have imagined. He blinked a few times before kissing back slowly. The kiss was...not bad for a first kiss. Itachi was always a little above average in everything he did. But his inexperience did show just a little. Not that Shisui cared.

 

Itachi was kissing him.

 

“...I believe that is what happens in most of the romance movies I have watched with you.” Itachi paused. “...That was the correct action....” Itachi’s voice almost shook.

 

“Oh. Uh. Yeah. Definitely. Yep.” Ah yes, what a word smith he was.

 

“...Shisui.” Shisui could barely breath at this point. He was still processing. “You’re a good person. Sometimes, selfishness is needed. Balance is important. You taught me that. Though, you are just as selfless as I am. I’ve seen what you have sacrificed for this family. What you have sacrificed for me, and I hardly de-”

 

“You deserve it.” His cheeks were bright red, but his voice was firm. “You deserve the world, Itachi.”

 

“....I....do not agree, but I know better than to fight you on it.” Itachi mumbled, looking away. “....I do not know how to dance anything but the classes my father made me take.”

 

“I...I can teach you. I know all the cool moves. Party standards. Cotton Eye Joe. The Macarena. Cha Cha Slide. The Cupid Shuffle.” Shisui grinned. “And of course, the coolest move ever.”

 

“...I will not dab, Shisui.” Itachi frowned, squinting at him.

 

“...Oh man, not even once?” Shisui felt lighter than air. He laughed and smiled and grinned. Because this was real. This was happening.

 

“...I could maybe be convinced later into our relationship.”

 

Relationship. Dating. They were dating? Maybe, they’d always been dating just a little.

 

But now it was official.

 

“Hey. ‘Tachi.” Shisui grins, and before Itachi could answer, he leaned in and kissed him again.

 

They would deal with Fugaku skinning him alive later.

 


End file.
